Microchip Technology Inc has introduced a PIC32 Bluetooth starter kit. The kit includes a board with a PIC32 microcontroller, HCI-based Bluetooth radio, Cree high-output multi-color LED, 3 standard single-color LEDs, an analog 3-axis accelerometer, analog temperature sensor and 5 push buttons for user-defined inputs.  In addition the PICkit™ On Board (PKOB) eliminates the need for an external debugger/programmer and supports USB connectivity and GPIOs for rapid development of Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP), USB and general-purpose applications. To support Bluetooth audio the starter kit also includes an interface for a plug-in audio CODEC daughter card set for release at a later stage.

The Bluetooth Starter Kit includes a PIC32MX270F256D MCU processor running at 83 DMIPS with 256 KB Flash and 64 KB RAM with USB, I2S/SPI connectivity, mTouch® capacitive touch sensing and an 8-bit Parallel Master Port.  A free Bluetooth SPP stack, optimized for use with the PIC32 MCU is also already implemented to allow serial port connections between two peer Bluetooth devices.

The Bluetooth Starter Kit is targeted for low-cost applications in the consumer markets, such as Bluetooth thermostats and wireless gaming controllers.  In the medical and industrial markets, applications include blood glucose meters, wireless diagnostic tools, Bluetooth GPS receivers, Bluetooth serial adapters and cordless barcode scanners.

The PIC32 Bluetooth Starter Kit (part No DM320018, $79.99) is available for purchase today.